The impact of phytate

as an anti-nutrient
in poultry diets
by Dr Gilson Gomes, AB Vista global
technical manager, UK. 1.5 BWG (kg) FCR 1.395 1.4
1.4
1.31
he role of phytates in reducing the

T availability of phosphorus (P) within

plant-based feed ingredients is widely
recognised, with the use of phytase feed
1.3
1.2
1.1
1.25

enzymes to release phytate-P and reduce

feed costs almost ubiquitous. Yet the signifi-
cant negative impact of phytate as an anti-
nutrient in poultry diets is much less well
understood, as are the substantial perfor-
mance and financial gains that come from
phytate elimination through use of higher
doses of an appropriate phytase.
Phytate itself, also sometimes referred to
as phytin or phytic acid, is the major storage
form of P in seeds, and is part of a complex
that also contains potassium, magnesium
and calcium. Originally recognised as a key
source of P during seed germination, the
presence of phytate is now also known to
play an important role in reducing oxidative
stress during the germination process, pre-
venting plant embryo death.
Phytate challenge
In animal nutrition, however, phytate has
long posed a challenge. Initially viewed as an
extremely valuable potential source of P
that could be made available through tar-
geted use of phytase feed enzymes, the
focus in recent years has shifted to the anti-
nutrient role phytate plays within the diges-
tive tract.
This anti-nutrient effect is substantial, and
clearly demonstrated by the significant
reductions in performance seen in Fig. 1,
where normal (high phytate) and genetically
modified (low phytate) cereals were com-
pared using 0 to 21-day-old broilers.
The phytate content in the unmodified
grains increased feed conversion ratio (FCR)
by 4.6% in the corn-based diets, and
reduced bodyweight gain (BWG) in the bar-
ley-based diets by 5.0%.
There are several modes of action by
which phytate has this negative effect,
though all act to reduce digestibility and utili-
sation of important nutrients supplied in the
diet. Key amongst these is the ability of the
phytate molecule to bind with both proteins
1.0
0.9
0.792 0.807
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
Normal corn Low phytate corn
(0.93% phytate) (0.68% phytate)
Corn-based diets (Li et al, 2000)
Fig. 1. Bodyweight gain (BWG) and mortality-corrected feed conversion ratio (FCR)
in 0 to 21-day-old broilers fed cereals with normal or low phytate contents.
and other minerals present in the intestinal
tract, resulting not only in reduced availabil-
ity, but also detrimental endogenous
responses by the bird.
Mineral binding
Much of this binding effect can be attributed
to the negative charge of the phytate mole-
cule itself when in solution, even at the low
pH found in the stomach and gizzard.
Further, this negative charge increases as
the pH rises, thereby increasing phytate’s
ability to react with positively charged
cations (primarily divalent cations such as
calcium, zinc and copper) as it passes
through the digestive tract from the acid
stomach to the more neutral pH of the
lower intestine.
The net result of these interactions is the
formation of stable salts which then precipi-
tate out of solution.
Even though phytate has a higher affinity
for cations such as copper and zinc, it is the
molecule’s affinity for calcium that is of
greatest concern in poultry nutrition. For
example, it has been shown that the dietary
calcium requirement for broilers increases
from 0.60% to 0.95% when the phytate-P
0.612 0.644
Normal barley Low phytate barley
(0.24% phytate) (0.01% phytate)
Barley-based diets (Linares et al, 2007)
level in the diet increases from 0 to 0.25%,
the latter being approximately equivalent to
the phytate concentration found in a stan-
dard corn-soyabean diet.
The impact on other minerals can be seen
when assessing the impact of progressive
phytate reduction through application of
increasing doses of phytase feed enzyme.
The results in Fig. 2, for example, show
how yolk selenium content rises when the
same diet is supplemented with a commer-
cial phytase (Quantum Blue) at 700, 1400
and 2100 FTU/kg feed (the standard dose is
300 FTU/kg feed).
Protein impact
The reduction in protein digestibility caused
by dietary phytate occurs through a different
mode of action, with in vitro studies show-
ing reduced pepsin activation between pH
0.8 and 2.8 in the presence of phytate.
Since the pH of the stomach contents is
typically pH 2 to 3, it is likely that the subse-
quent reduction in pepsin activity results in
less protein being initially broken down dur-
ing the acid phase of the digestive process,
leading to a lower overall protein digestibil-
Continued on page 17

International Poultry Production — Volume 22 Number 3 15

 1.6
Se content in yolk (mg/kg)
1.5
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.1
1.0
0 700 1400
Quantum Blue dose (FTU/kg feed)
Fig. 2. Impact of phytate elimination on selenium nutrition in
layers (Auburn University).
Continued from page 15
ity. Whilst this reduced pepsin activation
may be overcome by higher production of
its precursor, pepsinogen, in the stomach,
phytate presence also directly reduces pro-
tein solubility and subsequent digestibility.
This occurs through feed proteins (posi-
tively charged at low pH) binding to phytate
(negatively charged), and subsequently co-
precipitating.
Finally, the presence of phytate can reduce
the activity of the sodium/potassium
‘pump’, which is crucial to amino acid
uptake across the gut wall.
Endogenous losses
The reduction in protein digestibility also
has a further negative effect on the bird. The
resulting rise in the level of undigested pro-
tein reaching the duodenum can increase
secretion of the hormones gastrin and
cholecystokinin, stimulating additional pro-
duction of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and
pepsinogen in the stomach whilst reducing
gastric emptying.
The pH in the gizzard of broilers at seven
and 21 days of age has been shown to be
significantly lower when feeding a higher
phytate diet, for example.
International Poultry Production — Volume 22 Number 3
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Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR)
1.62
1.60
1.58
1.56
1.54
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2100
Fig. 3. Composite of broiler trials (0 to 35- or 42-days old)
showing improvement in bodyweight corrected feed conver-
sion ratio (FCR) from phytate elimination with higher levels of
added Quantum Blue (QB) phytase.
The result is a substantial increase in
endogenous losses. A greater amount of
sodium bicarbonate has to be secreted into
the duodenum to neutralise gut content pH,
whilst the additional irritant effect on the gut
mucosa leads to extra mucus production to
maintain protection levels.
Phytate elimination
Perhaps the clearest indication of the impact
on performance from the anti-nutrient
effects of phytate comes from trials where
phytate is effectively eliminated through phy-
tase ‘superdosing’.
The results in Fig. 3 are a composite of
several trials evaluating bodyweight cor-
rected FCR in broilers fed either a positive
control (PC; full mineral supply), a negative
control (NC; reduced mineral levels based
on the standard phytase matrix) or the lat-
ter supplemented with progressively higher
doses of an enhanced E. coli phytase
(Quantum Blue).
Not all phytases are sufficiently active at
the pH found in the stomach – or able to
continue degrading phytate towards elimina-
tion as concentrations fall – to be effective
for such superdosing.
However, the results in Fig. 3 clearly show
a
ab y = -0.0255x + 1.638
b R2 - 0.9538
bc
c
PC NC NC+500 NC+1000 NC+1500
QB QB QB
the efficacy of Quantum Blue phytase in
producing performance benefits beyond
simple mineral supply (the standard dose
equals the positive control performance)
through phytate elimination.
Financial gains
The net effect is a four point improvement
in FCR beyond that achieved by the positive
control or the standard phytase dose, equiv-
alent to a cost saving of €4-6/tonne of feed.
It is a gain that has far reaching implications,
with estimates suggesting the anti-nutritional
effects of phytate could be costing the global
monogastric feed industry over €2 billion
per year.
As such, there is little doubt that as aware-
ness of the negative impact of phytate on
bird performance and profitability increases,
so too will the use of high doses of phytase
to achieve phytate elimination.
The arrival of commercial phytases like
Quantum Blue specifically developed to
maximise phytate destruction will also help
to ensure end-users are able to achieve con-
sistent results, a factor likely to be critical to
the widespread uptake of superdosing and
to reclaiming the revenue currently lost to
the anti-nutrient phytate. n
17